The Joshua Arc
by A.j
Summary: Primarily a Domino/Cable arc, this series of stories explores both characters and possibilities for their future. Stories are stand-alone.
1. Stress Fracture

**Notes:** This is a little vignette that is all Ali McKenzie's fault. Blame her. It follows along recent X-Men, Cable, and X-Force issues, so if you haven't been reading, y'might be a little lost at a few references. It is, however, in _Joshua_ canon, but is *very* much a prequal. This officially makes it a series, doesn't it? Oy. 

This isn't a very happy little piece, so if you're looking for fluff, run screaming. ;) Happy New Year to all (and Ali, you owe me my soul back.) 

* * *

Stress Fracture  
by A.j. 

* * *

He's killing himself. 

Even from this height, it's obvious. The way he hit that one? Too much power, no focus, his left side's open. Everything they tell you *not* to do in the first days of training. They're rookie mistakes that not even exhaustion can excuse. I've watched him fight, on and off, for almost twenty years. I've seen him weak, pissed, and everything between. I've never seen him like this. 

Only five of *them* left now. The one in the rear seems to be hanging back. It's waiting for him to tire himself out. That should happen pretty soon the way Nate's pushing it. I didn't think Danger Room holograms were programmed to be smart. 

Then again, I haven't been doing very much thinking lately. Not about the right stuff. 

I wonder where he got the template. It's not like anyone was taking pictures and Nate isn't the best at reconstructive programming. But that has to be it. I really can't imagine him asking anyone to do this. They'd be a lot more freaked out than they are. 

Scott Summers looks really weird with blue lips and an 'A' belt-buckle. 

I should put the safety protocols back on. A precaution or something. Fighting like this... It's obvious he's not in any condition to be within a mile of the Danger Room, let alone working one of the higher levels. Nate started with thirty. He's down to four now. 

Those hologram skins are really disturbing. 

But that's what Nate's aiming for, isn't he? This isn't a sim about comfort. I'm watching a ritual of self-flagellation. 

He's been hiding the depth of what's going on pretty well. I mean, I had *no* idea about this. If any of the others did, they'd probably have him drugged to the gills and under 24/7 watch. Then again, that's half right. They are watching him pretty closely. 

Probably why he locked the door. 

I wish this weren't happening. 

But wishes aren't horses, are they, Dom? And this beggar just crawled back here on her knees. 

He's taken down another one. Only three left. The one in the rear is still out of sight. I don't think he sees him. 

I think I know why I can't bring myself to hit that button yet. This isn't my fight. It's not something that I can do, or have the right to chose. As sick as it sounds, it's what he wants right now. 

I guess, in the end, it really is a question of what *he* wants. That's partially the problem. I don't think Nate's ever really thought about *what* he wants. He's always had to do what was necessary or expected. 

What's necessary to him has never been addressed. Worse yet, the stuff he's unconsciously wanted: family, stability... All of that has been thoroughly sacrificed on the alter of the Required. But now that's gone And what a price... 

Rid yourself of duty by ridding yourself of family. 

It's not surprising that he's obsessing on this. What is surprising is that no one else has figured it out. Hell, I shouldn't talk. I didn't have it figured out until I hacked the lock. 

This is his way of asking for help. If he hadn't wanted me to, I never would have made it past the first encryption set. Even this freaked out, he's miles above me in cryptography. Hell, even Tabby could have hacked this one if she'd tried hard. 

Maybe. 

Maybe this was just meant for me. 

I don't know what he's going through. I know what's going on, but not what he's really feeling. Even if the link was up and running at full speed, I still couldn't. 

He still hasn't relinked us yet. I thought it was just because we were readjusting to being in each other's shperes again. Me trying to be thoughtful and understanding. Don't push, he'll come to me... When did stupidity become such a large percentage of my life's outlook? 

Xavier used to have this saying. "We're all different but the same." He got it half right. We're all different, but we have similarities. Everyone and his mother is trying to get Nate out of this 'funk'. I heard even Logan had a try. Now *that* had to have been interesting. 

They're all wrong though. Every single one of them. I probably am too, come to think of it. I don't know what he needs. Maybe death *is* the answer. Who am I --or the Xmen for that matter-- to say what is right or good for him? We don't know. We can't. 

But I do know what's good for me, and watching him kill himself isn't it. It's selfish and probably completely cruel --not wanting him to die, that is. But, then again, I'm not exactly what you'd call altruistic. 

He's my partner. He always has been. It was just there for me to realize. I love him. That was only a question really early on. After that, it was about trust. We trusted each other with our lives, habits, and bodies. Our hearts? We didn't even trust ourselves with those. 

When it comes down to it, we were --I *am*-- just really scared. Terrified. Petrified. Pants-wetting fearful. Any and all. 

Life's a bigger risk than war. War is dependable. You'll die. There's no question it will happen. It's just the when that's a tad mystifying. The people trying to kill you aren't always bad, they're just doing their job. That can't be said about life. 

I'm still not entirely sure why I went looking for him. With everything going on in my life, it would have been so much easier just to leave things as they were. For the first time in months I was back with the kids, strange as it was. It always feels odd when I'm with them and he's not. Maybe it was spending time with them. Maybe it was the bakery around the corner. They make fresh bread and brew the strongest coffee imaginable every morning. Nate loves both of those. 

Nostalgia is a pretty powerful motivator. Lord knows that's why I went back after Vanessa. Once you've had someone as a friend and a lover and possibly more, you can't completely walk away from that. Forgetting just isn't an option. There's that little bit of them that's left, just waiting for a song or a smell or the feeling of a snowflake brushing your nose to come roaring back to life. 

Slowly but surely, coffee and bread brought him back to life in me. 

Sitting in that little cafe, watching the sun come up, I started to remember the small things. The jokes. The food fights. The feeling of his hand on my back. The way his eyelashes brushed his cheek when he closed his eyes. The color of those eyes when he laughed. At night, the way he feathered kisses down my jaw. The feel of his fingertips on my cheek. Everything started to come back. 

And it didn't hurt anymore. 

When Junior remade me, he fixed the shoulder that had been starting to give me trouble. And the knees. Pretty much all of my joints. And he got rid of the crows feet I'd just noticed. He rebuilt me completely, making me the mutant cliché --a forty-year-old in a twenty-five-year old's body. That little creature of mass destruction erased my scars. He got rid of a few of the ones in my head too. Even if the little bastard was a ticking time-bomb, he deserves my thanks. 

After coming to this realization, I started asking myself questions. Why *did* I leave? Fear? Was walking away the best thing to do? No. Did I still not want to be there? No. Do I miss him? God, yes. 

It was all so simple. 

I've had second chances before. This feels different. I know this is the last and I still have no idea what to do. 

Nate's taken down another. Severed its head with a blow that would probably break cement. It's cranium bounces once and disappears, eyes still wide in shock. It actually thought it was winning. Two left. 

The bread and the coffee. Maybe that *is* what made me come back. All I know was that last week I was getting no sleep and spending more time with a gay cafe-owning couple than a straight woman should, and then I was in New York. 

He was still in the same safe-house. It's a shock that I caught him when I did. According to Irene, he's here at the mansion more than there. Or being kidnapped. He was home though. Or what passes for his home these days. Sitting at the main worktable in the back. He didn't sense me coming. Now that I think about it, that should have been a pretty giant clue that something was really, really, wrong. 

I wasn't paying attention then. I was more in it for shock value. Nerves and not a little fear had me back in full Domino-mode. Teflon-babe, balls of brass, tough-as-nails, I breezed in, pushed his jaw back up with my index finger, and threw a lamp at the Rat. 

All in all, I felt better than I had in months. Decades maybe. 

But that was last week, and I wasn't paying attention. I'm paying attention now. Full and total. Y'got me, babe, now what do you want me to do? 

We've always had these lines between us. Generally I drew them, he followed them. Emotional, physical. Whatever. They were still lines. We've crossed a few from time to time. When I met him, I never intended to be his lover. When I did, I gave myself another line. I wouldn't fall in love with him. And then I crossed that line. Then I told myself I wouldn't walk away. But I did that too. 

I felt something this morning when I came down to breakfast. Something was wrong, but Nate's "Don't Ask" walls were up higher than the Empire State building. 

Curiosity did always kill the cat. I couldn't help it. Something seemed... different today. His neck felt tighter when I brushed it. His eyes seemed more strained. A million little things that just kept building in my mind. Then, halfway through an exercise routine out by the pool, something in my brain shifted and I knew it was time to cross another line. 

So I picked the lock. 

And here I am, sitting on my hands with no idea how to fix things or how it all got so bad. 

Nate's still fighting. Roundhouse kick. Block. Punch. Block. I don't know how he can even move. There are a few cuts on his face, but the thing that really worries me is the way his leg is bent. It has to be at least sprained. Doesn't matter to the holoScott though. It just keeps coming. Jab. Block. Sucker-punch. Hit. Trip. Block. But Nate isn't giving up yet. Not yet. Jaw-smash. Hit. Chin-grab. Head-grab. Snap. 

One left. 

Crunch time. 

This one's different. He- IT's hung back. Waited. Nate's exhausted. He's sweating so hard his clothes are soaked and shaking so bad it's a wonder he's still standing. 

I don't like this. Nate's just watching him now. He's got his hands wrapped so tightly around that damn stick, I can see the white knuckles even from here. And the thing... It's just *smiling*. 

Fuck. 

I don't want to make this decision! It shouldn't have to be me. GOD DAMMIT! What the hell am I supposed to do!? Force him to live another five minutes when even the breathing hurts? Pull him off that edge again? What do I have to offer him? More missions? More death and unused money? What else? A life in the suburbs? Kids? There's a terrifying thought. 

But what am *I* gonna do when that blade hits his neck? How am I going to be able to breathe? Why is it my choice? 

But the why's not important right now, is it? No. The choice is. 

God. Nate's on his knees now. He's not even trying. He's just there, arms by his sides. Broken. Waiting. The Thing's smile is even bigger now. Those blue lips are stretched so wide across white teeth, I'm not sure if I'm watching a snarl or a laugh. It's raising Its blade now. Such a clear swing he has. Nate's not even holding his psimitar in a defense position. It's hanging loosely in his left hand. Shit, the damn thing's pointed practically straight at me. 

A spotlight wouldn't have been more appropriate. This is it. 

Hit the button. Walk out the door. 

That simple. That complex. 

Stay or leave. 

Last chance, girlie. My choice. 

But then... was there ever one? 

The plastic is cool under my fingers. Just a tap, and the skin, the setting, and that horrid blade are gone. There's nothing left down there. Just air and something that's going to take a helluva lot of fighting to win back. 

Am I up to that challenge? 

I made my choice. It's about damn time I stopped crossing those lines. 

It's the right thing. I know this. Instinctively, and completely. 

The last thing I see before I turn to run, flat-out, down the stairs is him. He's kneeling on the floor. His head is bent, but high enough that the room lights can still touch his face. He's crying. 

And, as I make my way down those stairs, I am too. 

* * *

Fin


	2. Chiaroscuro

Chiaroscuro 

**Chiaroscuro**  
by A.j. 

* * *

_Into the night I wander, It's morning that I dread,   
Another day of knowing of, the path I fear to tread._

* * *

**Chiaroscuro:** (key-are-ay-scyuro) representation in terms of light and shade without regard to color. 

* * *

I'm at a loss, you see. 

I'm not suicidal. I don't want to die. I just don't want to live. 

Crossroads have become something of a regular occurrence in my world. Things end around me. I was born a catalyst. Everything I do moves things; adjusts them so that things alter and continue in a *certain* way. What is, is. 

There are no words to describe how much I want to burn that saying from my brain. I hate everything it stands for. Everything that it represents has taken from me. Apocalypse hurt me. This sisterhood has destroyed me. 

I am not a man. I am a tool. Someone -no, someTHING to be pushed and used and hurt... My mother and sister are the Phoenix. Born again and again in the heart of fire. 

Didn't my **sisters** get the note expelling that doesn't carry over to the male side of the family? 

If I had a working brain cell left I'd use my ever so vaunted and valued powers to shut off my damned heart. One quick tug and that'd be it. 

No more. 

An ending. 

Finally. 

Death. 

Beginnings are too hard. I've restarted my life twice before. Been the good little soldier. I went back in FLONQING TIME to save this sorry excuse for a world. I gave up everything I had left. I don't know if I can do this again. Frankly, I don't want to find out. 

Reality has been... surreal of late. Nothing seems to **fit** anymore. When **it** happened, something inside me just snapped. Again. All these neat little puzzle pieces that had been hanging together by the thinnest thread just... 

...fell. 

So, here I am, standing in this desolate landscape, just wondering what the hell I'm supposed to do now. But again, somehow, I think that choice has been made for me. And I'm trying really hard not to hate her for it. 

I'm in the Danger Room. 

I haven't been here in close to two weeks. Not since Dom found me. 

She didn't say a word. Nothing. I don't know how much she saw. How much she didn't see. Her mind, normally so clear and bright has been shut tighter than a drum ever since. Until now... 

I'm not stupid. The fates, time, the Bright Lady... None of them have seen fit to divest me of my intellect. My sanity? My life? My family? All fair game. But no, not my mind. 

Domino stopped me from making a choice. Without a word, she changed things. 

She took away the numbing haze I've been walking through and forced me to look things straight in the face. 

I'm a telepath. The mind is my domain; consequently, my memory is better than it should be. My earliest memory was a sweet one. It isn't really a picture, per se, just a rush of warm colors and emotion. Even then, I could feel it. The one constant in my life. Pain. 

Sometimes it wasn't so bad. Just a dull ache at the edge of my consciousness. Something almost comforting in its consistency. Other times... 

I'm just tired of finishing things and being left only with pain. 

There are very few people on this earth who can hit me and make it count. My TO virus generally takes most impacts, large and small. Ironically, the thing that I've spent my entire life fighting makes me stronger, faster, and more able to take a punch. But there are a few people with the raw power or skill to actually make it hurt. There are not many who know me and my body well enough to know my soft spots. 

Dom does. 

And she isn't pulling the strikes anymore. 

She stopped five minutes ago. 

_"Stop it you fucking idiot!"_

She's scared. It's odd to be reading her this clearly. Even with all the enhancements I've gone through in the past few months, I haven't been able to get past her most rudimentary shields since she came back. Just a flash here and there. And what I've seen has almost sent me running for the hills fast as I can. 

She's settled things. Come to terms with a lot of the raging pain that has defined her for so long. She's found a measure of... peace. 

I haven't felt that in so long, I almost didn't recognize it. 

_"Don't you think I know what you're trying to do!?"_

I haven't reestablished the link yet. I can't. If I did, we'd have to share things. My mind would be torn by that impossible peace, and hers by my chaos. She's worked too long to reach it for me to take that away. And, oath, have I pushed long enough to get here. 

I don't want to come to terms with this. If I did, I'd be forgiving myself for killing my father. My wife. My son. My future. 

I've killed myself already. Why can't anyone else see that? 

_"You bastard! Don't you do this! Do you think your father would want it?"_

I didn't expect this. Then again, no one ever **does** expect Dom's first punch. They're just suddenly there and solid as a brick wall. 

Just like her intuition. 

She saw everything in the Danger Room. I know that now. She wouldn't be doing this if she hadn't. She couldn't know what she does. 

But she left me. She made her choice on that grassy field not more than two thousand feet above us. She walked away. 

I can't take this dance again. 

_"No! I *won't* let you do this! You CAN'T!"_

Sometimes I wonder. I wonder if any of this is real. If this horrendous abomination I call my life ever actually happened. How could it? How could some 5000 year old power-mad social darwinist infect an infant with an incurable disease, just to test him? How could I have killed so many people? 

How the hell is it that I'm not dead yet? 

Maybe I am. Maybe all this is a dream. Maybe I'm still in Apocalypse's arms waiting for the techno-organic virus to kill me. Maybe I've never left that painful instant. Everything I know and everything I am could just be the hallucination of a pain-wracked infant on the verge of death. 

Then again, I'm not this imaginative. 

Reality is what you make it, and clichés only become clichéd if they have a grain of truth. 

I don't want to go anywhere from here. Too much has already been done. Too many roads explored and exhausted. I'm tired, you see. Bone-weary and so ready to lay down this yoke. I just don't know how. It's been part of me for so long... I can't let it go, but holding on will only shred me deeper. 

Bright lady knows I don't need that. 

It was easier before. 

Once He started making trouble again, I stopped looking for her. I stopped hoping for the vague reports that flowed in. I even stopped thinking about her. It hurt to do, but she obviously didn't need me. Or want me. Hell, after the Undying, she just walked away. After that, I did the same thing. Then I got caught up in everything. In the ending. 

I can still see the light leave his eyes. It replays every time I close my own. I know it wasn't really him. It was Him. The insane freak who's dogged my every move for longer than I'm willing to acknowledge. My mind says that. My heart? 

I don't even know if I have one of those anymore. I think it shut itself off. 

Even before... A few months prior to the mess, I got a call from Sam. He told me that she'd come back. She was different, but she was back. I could hear the hope in his voice. It was almost as if he were standing in front of me, hat in hand, asking me to come back. Give up the suicide run I was on and just come back. Like nothing had happened. 

Sick thing is, I would have said yes if she'd asked. 

But she didn't. 

As much as I'd like to attribute it to her letting me look for closure, seeing this seething woman now, I know that isn't true. She was still dealing with the demons eating her, and I was too consumed with my own. 

_"Dammit, Nate! You have to stop this... PLEASE stop this!"_

Something on my cheek is wet. I don't know if it's blood or not. I'm on my knees again, but something's different now. She's still hitting me, but she's crying. I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen this woman cry. Those big eyes that look like violets after a storm are just **staring** at me. Begging me. 

She's asking for me. 

She's asking for me **now**. Dammit. She's doing everything but saying the words. With her fists and boots and mind, she's begging in the only way she knows for me to come to her. 

For me not to leave her. 

Like I did before. Like I'm doing now. 

I'm trying really hard not to hate her. But this is Domino. Someone who's stuck with me longer than I'll admit and someone who's left me more times than I can count. Someone who I cannot leave. Not again. 

I'm trying to hate her, but it isn't working. It's harder not to love her. 

_"Nate... Please don't do this... Please... Don't. Leave. ME."_

Doesn't she know she's already made my choice? 


	3. A Season of Job

A Season of Job 

A Season of Job  
by A.j. 

* * *

**Dedications:** To Timey, Threnny, DE, dominika, and Ali for the beta's. And, to Tresstress because your standards are so damn high. 

**Notes:** This is the third story in my, apparent, series. It follows _Stress Fracture_ and _Chiaroscuro_ in continuity. I decided that poor Nate'ums deserved a little break. A body can only take *so* much mental anguish before... well, he turns into Nate'ums. 

This little thing also outlines a little theory I've had for a long time. Look back at the comics, kids, it's actually substantiated. (Finally a reason to bless the artist-go-round that was X-Force and Cable continuity.) 

* * *

_You are the light, that's leading me  
To the place, where I found peace... again._

- _Everything_, Lifehouse 

* * *

I woke up this morning with a feeling I haven't had in years. 

Mornings are, as a general rule, something to be despised above all else. The only thing that makes them even remotely bearable is that coffee is a social more associated with them. There's just something entirely too cheerful about anything that penetrates my brain before 3pm. 

I didn't notice it at first. The feeling I mean. Everything was pretty normal. 

Those evil bloody birds that no one will let me vaporize were doing their thing in a tree outside the window. There is only one thing worse than mornings. Things that LIKE mornings. But NO... Nate is just overreacting when he wants to blow a damn tree full of cutey-wootie little rats with wings off the face of the earth. Them and rats. That's what killed Europe. But is that what the women in this house see? 

Noooo. 

They just see a guy with a pulse rifle ready to vaporize a sweet little birdie. Bloody birds. 

But this morning... *This* morning was different. Special. Even with the damn birds. 

So there I was, flat on my back in my nice comfortable bed. The flonqing birds were singing, the sun was shining, and every little thing was happily shouting that it was the start of a new day. Me and my coffee-deprived brain were all ready to start the normal routine of grope and stumble towards the holy grail, also known as the coffee pot, when we noticed something. 

We were covered in hair. Inky, thick, beautiful strands that were wrapped completely around the upper half of my body. It only took me ten seconds to realize that I was not stuck in some kind of weird trap and that that black mane was actually attached to a head. A very nice, very special head. 

Domino's head. 

It's not like I didn't know she was there. Of course not. I'm too much of a soldier not to notice a hundred plus pounds of person pressed up against me. Add to that the amazing shape carrying that weight and I were doing some pretty energetic acrobatics last night... Well, let's just say that the person wasn't a surprise. Just the hair. Must have come out of its braid while we were doing our nightly cover fight. 

We've been back together for almost three years now. We have a daughter. We have a house. We own a flonqing lawn mower. By now, one'd think I'd have realized that my life is actually cruising along at a calm, wonderful clip. Then again, I'd be the first one to point out just how many blows to the head I've received in my overly long life. Well, maybe second. Dom's gotten better at pointing out my flaws as time's gone by. Stab her eyes. 

Anyway, life is good, life is great. Now why am I so surprised at finding myself cocooned in hair? 

Because until this very moment, I never realized just how good things are going between Dom and me. 

Bear with me here. This is gonna be a bit tricky to explain. 

I've always known what's going on in my relationship with Domino by the length of her hair. When I first met the woman, it was shortish. Not too long, not a crew-cut. As the missions went by and the niceties of formal contact were dispensed, it got a bit longer. By the time we actually ended up sharing a bed, it was down to mid-back. It wasn't until after that first, desperate time that I realized how long it was. And it was only after a drunken, philosophically ponderous evening that I figured out just what it meant. 

That's why it hurt so much to see it so short when she joined X-Force. But that wasn't her, was it? 

Vanessa isn't someone we talk about anymore. Even when it was a prominent issue, we didn't really talk about it. What was there to say? I'm sorry? Sorry really does have no meaning in circumstances like that. How can you apologize for not realizing the woman you were sharing your life with really wasn't the woman you thought? What do you do? It's pretty moot now. We've all made our peace with it, as best we can. We had no choice. It was a bad situation. One where no one walked away clean. 

But later, after Dom, the real one, came back... I knew things weren't *bad*. Her hair was long... how could they be? Hell, that time with X-Force, before everything went to hell in a hand-basket, was golden. It was us against the world... And we were winning. 

Well, let's just say her hair about hit her ankles. 

And then there was M'kran. 

Isn't that usually the way? Stuff is going along at a nice peaceful clip, and some weird cosmic crystal destroys the world. Or tries to. And there you are, in a nice happily physical relationship with your best friend. Some things are left unsaid, but that's okay, because there's gonna be time to do everything. Then there isn't. Then you tell her. And she tells you. 

And then someone goes and saves the day. 

She lost about two feet of hair after that. 

Bloody stupid crystal. 

If there is one thing in this world that Dom doesn't do well, it's owning up to emotion. Not that I blame her. We've tromped through each other's skulls a few times. She's seen my shit, and I've seen enough of hers to completely understand why actually admitting things is damn scary. 

But it didn't end there. Of course not. I'm a Summers. We can't just have normal relationship issues. Noooo. We get to be universal whipping posts. We get to introduce our dead lovers to our current ones and see what happens. 

At least neither of them was a clone of the other. Got one up on Dad there. 

I never thought Domino would ever have to meet Aliya. Then again, I never thought *I* would see Aliya again. And lose her. Again. To myself. Do you know how completely evil that is? But for Dom... 

She knows what losing Aliya did to me. She's had to deal with the knowledge that she's come second in my life for the entire time we've been together. I don't know how she can stand that. Then again, the man I am now is not the same man that loved the pretty red-haired girl who could kick his ass. Oh, I still love her. Aliya was my wife. No matter what happens, she will always have a place in my heart. Somewhere that no one else can touch. 

But I have changed. 

Right now, I'm the man who loves a woman with black hair who can kick my ass. I'd like to think Aliya would approve. She always did say I needed someone to keep me in line. 

That trip to the future though... 

It was then that I truly began to understand how deeply Dom did care for me. She was going to kill him. Stryfe. Stop everything before it went to hell. At the sacrifice of herself. 

My younger self would never have gone back if she'd pulled that trigger. Dom knew that. She also knew that there was a huge chance if she blew Stryfe's brains out, she was blowing her own out too. And she was still going to. 

Humbling isn't a strong enough word. 

Things changed after that. I guess I failed some sort of test. Or passed it. You never do know with Dom. Hell, DOM rarely knows with Dom. We cooled off. Things shifted in our friendship. We weren't just friends in love anymore. We were lovers who were sometimes friends, and not quite sure how to handle that. 

So we left things alone, and we ran away. 

And Dom's hair got even shorter. 

I knew when she walked out the door of the PacRat that she was going to leave. That day on the lawn, when she nearly stumbled out of those doors... I think I stopped breathing. I just knew. 

That's why I didn't do anything when she walked away. 

I don't want to make excuses, but I *am* going to bring up that impressive list of head-traumas again. Stupid doesn't even begin to cover it. And when she came back a few months later, what happened? We had a screaming match and she was nearly beaten to death. 

And did I stay by her side and wait for her to wake up? Noooo. I went and beat someone up, opening the door for the mother of all bad things to come down the pike not two years later. 

The next time we met, she kicked my ass. It was my own fault, really. I should have knocked. For awhile there, I kept asking myself why I *did* go back to X- Force. I should have concentrated harder on what I was doing. I let myself get distracted, and nearly killed. 

But I had to see them. I had to know they were okay. I needed to look at something I'd done mostly right by... And instead I found a host of regrets. 

Sorry has no meaning, right? Wishful thinking, I guess. 

I fought so hard for so long, but in the end I lost sight of what I had been fighting for. 

Peace. 

The days that followed my last meeting with the kids... Hard is an understatement for those days. Soul-wrenchingly impossible is more accurate. 

Things didn't change much after that for a long time. A really long time. 

But they did. They always do. That's the nature of life. Always a tricky thing, that. 

This morning, however, is very different because I woke up wrapped in three feet of gloriously long, beautiful hair. 

Now, I'm a big guy. Summers genetics, more training sessions than I'd like to admit to and about a hundred pounds of metal'll do that to a body. It's not very easy for me to be enveloped by something. I'm usually the one doing the enveloping, if there's any to be done. 

In fact, the last time I remember being enveloped in a hug was a few days before Slym and Redd left. It's very clear in my mind. They had been preparing for the final showdown with Apocalypse, though I didn't know it at the time, and had been busy for awhile. Hugs and small signs of affection were common in our home. I never realized how precious that was until it was gone. 

But that day... 

Slym knew it would be ending. Stab his eyes, he *knew*. Maybe some of Redd's pre-cog wore off on him over the years, but he knew. 

I can still remember it. It was hot. Of course it was hot, it was *always* hot. The sky though... THAT was memorable. It was a rare thing to see a cloudless sky. Thanks to years of pollution, a slight haze usually covered the deep azure. That day though... The wind or temperature was just right, and not even the continual scum was absent. It was just so blue. 

Slym had taken me outside for a short walk. He told me that it was a shame to waste such a day. He took me to the uppermost barrack genejokes like us could access and told me to look around. He said that I needed to remember this day and this place. I didn't think much of it. Slym...Scott was always telling me to remember things or places. It was what he did. 

After a few minutes of idle conversation, he just reached down and hugged me. Again, I didn't see anything out of the ordinary about it. It was a normal Slym hug; strong, comforting, and complete. He smelled of cloves, oil, and himself. I felt completely safe there. 

I forgot that over the years. 

I still miss him... my father. How can I not? His death is... was on my head. Then again, he'd be the first one to glower at me in uncomfortable silence and shufflingly point out that it had to be done. He would have loved his grand- daughter. 

I love my father. He did his best with what he had. He loved me. Kept me safe, as well as he could. And he taught me what it meant to be loved. *That* is what I felt this morning, wrapped in three feet of hair. I felt enveloped. Surrounded. Warm. Safe. Something so alien and strange that I'm still dealing with it, but it was also completely right. 

But in those precious moments, right after waking, I found something. With Dom's hair around me and the slight whimpers in my brain that let me know Maddy'll be screaming her head off any minute, I felt wonder. Wonder and bone- deep joy. 

I have a life. I have a family. I have peace. 

It's almost enough to make me like mornings. 

***fin***


	4. Joshua

**Joshua**

by A.j.   


* * *

It wasn't raining. 

For the first time in nearly three days, the Northern California sun had been allowed to stretch itself over the San Francisco Bay, and was making up for lost time. During the past week, an abnormal bout of stormy weather had terrorized the coast, cancelling early tourist activity and generally making a nuisance of itself. Today, things had gotten even weirder. Not only was the sky clear, but temperatures were climbing into the mid-eighties; a phenomenon almost completely unheard of in a Northern California spring. 

Whistling quietly, Joshua Baker adjusted the climate control on his dashboard. While he normally enjoyed cruising with the windows down, the late afternoon sun was happily extracting any and all moisture from the ground and pulling it back up into the air. Air conditioning was most certainly called for. 'Better to have dry sinuses than poofy hair.' Absently, Joshua passed a hand over his moussed coif. 'Not that anything short of an anti-aircraft shell could move this sucker.' 

Thanks to his great-grandmother's Sicilian genes, he'd spent the better part of his eighteen years battling with his hair in one way or another. Normally, he just gave up and let it do its own thing. Tonight though... Tonight was different. Earlier this evening, the tight curls had been maniacally whipped into a style more reminiscent of an anime flick than any occurring in nature. Joshua had no idea where his sister had found the gel, but he couldn't quite bring himself to believe it wasn't shellac. 

With a slight touch of anxiety, Joshua glanced down at the small white map resting on his knee. The paper was a brilliant contrast to the summer-weight black wool. Nearly four months of pleading and this was his only reward. 'Well worth it too.' Joy, anticipation, and an odd sense of doom fluttered merrily down Joshua's spine. He was on his way and, come hell or high water, tonight was going to be perfect. 

He knew *he* wasn't perfect. Heck, the guys on the football team brought that particular truth home nearly every day. But when Maddy smiled at him... Well, it was everyone else's loss they didn't get to see those smiles. Hopefully, tonight, she'd be smiling a lot. 

Joshua knew, with every fiber of his being, there was no way in hell he deserved more than a second glance from Maddy. The fact she'd not only looked twice, but a third, fourth, and seventh time... Well, he was damn sure he was going to cherish every second she kept looking. It'd give him something to remember when she stopped. 

Shifting nervously behind the wheel of his old 2002 Saturn, Joshua glanced down at the map again. It was pretty clear, which was a rarity for the average direction-impaired Californian. The address was in an upper class area near the outskirts of the city. That had surprised him. When Maddy had, tentatively, handed him the map, he'd questioned how she'd ended up going to Midvale, all the way across town. In response, she'd offered him nothing but a nervous chuckle and a vague explanation involving her parents' office. Something about them being in the warehouse district more than home. Joshua had no idea cleaning services operated out of the warehouse district. Oh, well. Probably cheaper rent or something. 

The explanation hadn't seemed all *that* odd. It made sense for her parents to want her near them. Even though Maddy'd danced around introducing him to her parents for nearly three months, he'd sensed she harbored a deep love and respect for them. That reason alone had, ultimately, been why he'd forced the issue. Even though he and Maddy were still in high school, just kids really, he was pretty sure he loved her. Deep down he knew she'd, more likely than not, meet some fantastic guy in college, leaving him in the dust. Until then... He wanted to know more about her life. What's more he wanted the people in that other part to know his intentions were honest. Clutching his map a little tighter, he checked his location. 

Up ahead, a dark blue and white sign indicated his street. Slowing to check for oncoming cars, he executed a neat turn and started down the long, tree-dappled road. He'd never actually been in this district before. The houses were old looking. Their towering grandeur happily mimicked the glory of days past, only this time, with plumbing. Fences lined the quiet street while large maples and oaks mingled leaves overhead. A strange enough foliage combination for California, but these were rich people. Rich people could afford the extra water. 

The late afternoon sun flitted merrily through the dense canopy, creating twirling patterns on the neat sidewalks. Along the right side of the road, high-end Toyotas and older Mercedes sat, waiting for their owners in quiet dignity. Joshua, carefully counting house numbers, feeling more than a little conspicuous in his tan, seventeen-year-old car. 

Finally, Joshua's vehicle pulled up beside a house clearly marked with the number on the map. '47 Oleander. I guess this is the place.' He manoeuvred his sedan into a space behind a new-ish Ford Expedition, and, with care he switched off the air, the radio, and the ignition and put on that most important of things in San Francisco: the parking brake. His nerves were finally bearing down full-force. 

How had he gotten in this situation again? 'Oh, yeah... I asked.' 

Taking a deep breath, Joshua reached over to the passenger seat and retrieved the white-rose corsage and bouquet of lilies resting on the well-used leather. The lilies had been a last minute purchase from the florist around the corner from his home. 

Maddy had mentioned once, in passing, how much her mother adored the flower. The bouquet, now nervously clutched in his hand, had been in the shop window when he'd stopped to pick up Maddy's rose. Inspiration, vicious pickpocket bitch that she was, had struck. He hadn't even noticed purchasing them until he'd been walking to his car. Heck, considering the way Maddy had fought against him picking her up, he knew he was in for some opposition. He figured he could handle some parental disapproval, if it meant spending the evening with her. So, the lilies were a sort of bribe. He figured it was a good idea to have at least a *small* chip in his favor. 

What was it his father had said? "To get to the father, flatter the mother." Something like that. All Joshua knew was that he was grateful his parents had given him the credit card tonight. He had no idea how he was going to pay back all the money he'd spent on the tux, the tickets, or the flowers, let alone dinner. 'Oh, well. I guess Mr. Floyd will be keeping his faithful box-boy this summer.' After all, there weren't many days as important as the Senior Prom. 

'Senior Prom. Senior Prom with Madeline Kathleen Summers.' The realization it was REALLY going to happen calmed his tap-dancing stomach and soothed his oddly skittish legs. It was with a bright face he exited the car and made his way up the fenced walk. 

As he came closer, Joshua noted the subtle differences of Maddy's home from those around it. The brickwork, though similar to the neighbor's, seemed newer. While the stately Tudor brick next door had ivy down the entirety of it's far side, the one drawing increasingly closer hadn't a speck of leafy green. Slightly puzzled, but not really interested, Joshua decided the Summers probably just didn't want the crawling, if pretty, plant destroying their brickwork. 

Filing the observation in the back of his head under the heading 'Unimportant', Joshua mounted the solid stone steps leading to the bottle-green door smiling. Life was good, and about to get better. 

Carefully patting his rented tux down, checking for stray parts, Joshua gave himself a last once-over. Hair combed back? Check. Breath good? Spritz of breath spray and Check. Cummerbund in place? Check. 

'Looks like you're as ready as you're going to get, boy.' 

Pulling himself up to his full six-foot height, Joshua nestled the lilies in the crook of his arm and reached for the bell. Before his hand could depress the white button, however, the door slowly swung open to reveal... 

A neck. A very, very, very *big* neck. 

Muscle and skin were bunched sinuously over bone, giving the overall effect of a balloon about to pop. A cold sweat burst enthusiastically onto Joshua's brow. Hoping and praying things didn't get worse, he carefully lifted his eyes. As they went up, things definitely didn't get better. The strong cords of the person's trapezium lead to a square, hard jaw. Above said jaw, chiseled cheekbones slashed downward, emphasizing the deep frown gracing a mouth, most likely, formed of granite. The worst though, was yet to come. Over the hard, sloping nose were two fierce eyes. One, a normal deep, smoky blue-grey was surrounded by an odd set of scars. The other, a piercing silver, seemed to almost glow. Overall, the man in front of him gave the impression of Mt. Fuji majestically preparing to level Japan. 

Maybe this whole 'meeting the parents' thing wasn't such a good idea. 

Joshua developed a sudden sympathy for deer around the country. 'So this is what standing in front of a speeding truck feels like.' 

Somehow, some way, the tiny part of Joshua's mind that wasn't screaming for him to turn and run, the part of him that really loved Maddy, pushed its way up past the panic. Slowly, Joshua's jaw unhinged and *somehow* his speech center activated. 

"Erm... I'm Joshua Baker... I'm- I'm here to pick u-u-up Maddy?" 

His slightly hysterical tone shocked the teen out of his paralysis. Wildly, Joshua pulled the lilies from the crook of his arm and waved them under the uncompromising chin, offering testament to his presence. A single, silver brow arched. 

"Oh. Are you?" 

It was all Joshua could do not to turn and bolt. 

The man had to be, at the very least, over six and a half feet. Joshua was not used to actually looking *up* at people anymore. Not only did the man dwarf Joshua vertically, but he had horizontally covered too. 'They could fit two of me in him.' Slowly, the realization he was still waving the lilies dawned. Dropping his arm, he desperately tried to answer the huge man's question. When the man had spoken, Joshua's surge of courage had left a dust-trail on its way to the hidden valleys of his mind. If Terry Pratchett ever pushed another Disc World script through an animation studio, Joshua would have happily volunteered the mountain in front of him for the voice of Death. 'Wind through a graveyard in January? Mr. Pratchett must have met this guy.' 

"Um... yes, sir. Uh... this *is* the Summers' residence, isn't it?" 'Please say no, please say no, please say no...' 

The tectonic plates comprising the man's face moved upward, forming an even more fearsome smile. 'Men have died with that smile as their last earthly memory, haven't they?' The question shot bright and cold in what was left of Joshua's rational thought. 

"Yes." 

The word twanged over Joshua's tight nerves. That cold sweat which had started on his brow took this opportunity to move lower to his hands, back, and legs. The terrified young man had no idea which question the man was answering. Although, even though he knew it was impossible, Joshua would have laid money on the second one. 

"Th-this is the Summers' residence?" 

The smooth lilting voice of the man-mountain's armpit confirmed, "Oh, yeah. Welcome to the house of fear!" 

For nearly four seconds, Joshua was completely and utterly sure he had been in an accident on the way to pick up Maddy, and was now dead and standing in some kind of insane purgatory. That, or he'd survived and was ensconced in a hospital bed on some *really* stellar drugs. Then he realized the armpit voice belonged to an actual person. 

"Hello, Joshua!" The woman, now peeking from around a massive shoulder, chirped. "Maddy's told me so much about you! Nathan. Back. Now." 

The last few words caused a minor miracle. 'Nathan' took a slight step back, barely missing the tiny person behind him. Suddenly, the doorway seemed a lot bigger, and Joshua's pulse a little slower. 

'Scratch that "tiny" thought.' The woman standing in front of the slowly un-tensing teen was anything but small. She appeared nearly his height with black hair, deathly pale skin, and the most amazing pair of eyes Joshua had encountered on a woman. One violet iris was surrounded by a black, circular, tattoo. This caused a momentary pause in Joshua's scan, but he shrugged it off. It *was* San Francisco after all. As visions of the pier's tattooed lady danced in his mind, Joshua decided the oval was pretty classy. 

She looked to be in her early to mid-forties with a compact, athletic frame. Scanning quickly down her body, as he'd done with the immensely tall man, he took in the dark purple peasant shirt and lightweight black pants. Poking out of the boot-cut legs were dainty, bare feet. Not surprisingly, considering the theme, her toenails were a bright shade of lavender. 

"See anything you like, kiddo?" 

Joshua blushed brightly and shot a nervous glance to the man, now scowling even more deeply, over the woman's shoulder. "Erm.. no.. I was just.. eh.. Um, is this Maddy's house?" 

A throaty chuckle rebounded off the stoop and into the street. Smiling brightly, the woman started backing up and motioning him inside. 

"You bet. Maddy's upstairs with her sister and... um... aunt. They're putting on the last touches. She's gorgeous." 

Without even bothering to turn around, the older woman jammed her elbow into a space below the mountain's ribs. Visibly, the man gave no reaction, but he did back up and move towards the center of the room, finally allowing enough space for Joshua to enter the house. 

"She's always gorgeous, ma'am." 

A brilliant smile lit the woman's already lovely face, transforming it into something ethereal. Realization hit Joshua over the head like a bat. Maddy had inherited her mother's smile. Right down to the slight dimple on her left cheek. 

"I'm Maddy's mother and the glowering lout over there," Mrs. Summers smiled and waved at the tall man, "is her doting father. Don't mind him. He's just refusing to admit his little girl is growing up." 

Joshua wasn't sure, but he thought, just maybe, the dark scowl gracing the scary man's face got a little darker. 

"Um. Okay." 

Glancing over her shoulder, Mrs. Summers caught her husband's gaze and snorted. "Nathan. Go tell Maddy her date's here. I'm sure she already knows. The way you're projecting, everyone in the *neighborhood* knows he's here. I want to talk to this young man, alone." 

For nearly a minute, Joshua watched as a horrendous battle was fought inside Mr. Summers. For a second, right near the end, he could have *sworn* the man's silver eye really *did* glow. 'That can't be right.' 

It ended with a slight nod and the view of a massive, thankfully retreating, back. 

"You can breathe now, kid." Purple eyes danced merrily. "I know he comes on a bit strong, but he's a real lamb when he wants to be." 

"I'll have to take your word for that Mrs. --" 

A neatly manicured hand quickly shot out and a conspicuously bare third finger was waggled under his nose. "Don't call me 'Mrs. Summers'. It's not only inaccurate it makes me feel old. Of course, the *real* Mrs. Summers is younger than I am, but we won't go there. After all, this is your first encounter with this family. Might as well let you walk out of here with *one* unmuddled synapse." 

The hand was lowered and Joshua's green-grey eyes were again in contact with Mrs. Summ- er.. 

"Um, ma'am? What *should* I call you?" 

Maddy's mother grinned again. "You're a nice kid. Direct. I like that. Plus, you didn't wet yourself when Nate opened the door. First one who hasn't. Tell you what. If I can call you Josh, you can call me Dom, okay?" 

"Okay, ma'am, uh Dom." 

Another chuckle filled the foyer as Dom turned. "You know, I do believe you remind me of someone I know. C'mon, Joshua. You can shuffle nervously just as well in the study as you can in the front hall. Besides, my camera's in there, and no 'meeting of the date' is complete without blackmail photos." 

Docilely trailing behind the beautiful woman, Joshua followed Dom down the passageway, looking from side to side as he went. Travelling from the entry to the main hall was something of a learning experience. The wood panelled walls were covered with family photos and tasteful prints. Cheerfully polished tables unobtrusively took up floor space, while to his left, louvered doors were shut tightly against prying eyes. 

The end of the passageway opened into a high open room where, in the far right corner, a wooden staircase rose gracefully, its banister twinkling from a recent polishing. Again, as in the corridor behind him, the off-white walls were covered with photographs. Aside from the stairs and hall behind him, the room boasted five other doorways. The only one open was to the immediate left of the stairway. A refrigerator and sink were clearly visible. However, considering the size of the room, Joshua was willing to bet the doors led into even larger rooms. 

Massive as the house was, it really didn't seem intimidating. 'Unlike its owner.' All of the furniture was new, but the careless stacking of magazines and the not-so-straight arrangements of flowers gave it an informal air. The photos on the walls helped a lot. 'It feels like a home, not just a house.' 

Curious to get a better look at the framed pictures, Joshua moved closer to the walls. More specifically, he leaned in to scan the photographs. All of them were professional grade, and deeply personal. Even with his inexperienced eye, Joshua could see the posed and candid photographs were excellently balanced and, obviously, taken by someone who knew what they were doing. Possibly sensing his straying, Dom turned mid-step catching Joshua scanning the pictures nearest him. She stopped, still smiling. He jumped slightly and moved to continue following her, but she shook her head. 

"No, go ahead and look. Janna, our youngest, is quite the shutterbug. Ever since she was old enough to hold a camera, she's made it her personal mission to record every important moment of our extended family's history. On film." 

"Yeah, she told me." Joshua stepped closer to a photo. The picture was a bright, airy photo of a laughing Maddy holding a beautiful, if unfamiliar baby. The olive-skinned child looked remarkably similar to the tall, white-haired woman behind his date. From the lines on her face, Joshua guessed the older woman didn't smile much. Frown and tension lines marred her otherwise smooth skin. However, the camerawoman --Janna-- had caught Maddy, the woman, and child in an unguarded moment. The stately woman's face was softened with a small, genuine smile. 

"Janna said she's been accepted at both the Chicago Art Institute and New York's School of Fine Arts. I knew she must be good, but these are great. You must be very proud." Taking in Dom's brief nod, Joshua shot a curious gaze around the room again, scanning the nearly endless collection of framed photos. "I didn't realize Maddy had such a large family." 

"You're just lucky a convenient fog bank moved over upstate New York stranding everyone. Otherwise, you wouldn't just have grumpy Nate scowling at you." The woman shook her head, causing her waist-length ponytail to sway. "You'd have had her godfathers and about twelve uncles pulling the same routine." 

Joshua squirmed slightly as his shirt and jacket suddenly felt three sizes too small. 

Dom pointed a graceful finger at a photograph behind Joshua. He turned. Next to the picture he'd been admiring was a photo of, what appeared to be a baseball team. The only reason Joshua knew they were supposed to be a baseball team --and not the first-pick drafts for the new pro-football season-- was because most of them were holding bats. Big ones. Of the nearly twenty men, there wasn't a single ounce of fat. Even the smallest man, a wiry blond, outweighed Joshua by at LEAST twenty pounds, all of it in muscle mass. 'Oh, this isn't good.' 

"Er..." 

"You poor thing. Is Mom scaring you?" 

The bright, clear tones of Maddy's sister, Janna, came from directly behind his left shoulder. Joshua automatically froze. Although he knew Janna's voice, things hadn't been going well for him tonight. The deer-in-the-headlights reflex hadn't shut down yet. Joshua took a moment to relax before he turned to face the diminutive girl. 

Janna stood behind him, one hand cocked high on a slim hip, the other dangling an expensive camera. A quick visual scan gave Joshua a slight feeling of reassurance. She hadn't changed at all in the last three days, so the world couldn't be ending, upside-down, or even vaguely skewed. Janna was still short. Her hair was still black, her eyes were still blue, and her chest was still larger than any sixteen-year- old's should be. 

While Maddy had been hesitant about introducing him to Dom and Mr. Summers, she'd been more than happy to introduce him to her younger sister. In fact, he, Janna, and Maddy had spent several enjoyable afternoons wandering around Golden Gate Park and the Wharf district. Janna was everything he'd ever wanted in a younger sister; ergo, she was nothing like his *actual* sister. 

During one of those enjoyable afternoons, Janna had gone into quite a rant on how she thanked God, the Bright Lady, and every gene in her possession that she had quote: "Finally bucked that damn Summers tradition of birthing overly-tall, overly-developed psychos!" At the time, Joshua still hadn't quite gotten over his tendency to go a bit fuzzy whilst surveying some Maddy's over-development so he hadn't really taken Janna's use of the word 'psycho' very seriously. The statement hadn't really registered past making him blush. 'Too bad...' 

Shaking his thoughts back to the present, Joshua couldn't help but let one final observation push through. All of the Summers women shared several traits, not the least of which seemed to be bust size. 

Completely oblivious of his rather shadowed mental wanderings, Janna hitched the camera over her shoulder and caught him in a reassuring hug. 

"Don't worry, Josh. Daddy's a pushover once you get to know him." She stepped back to stand nearer to her mother and giggled brightly at his panicked expression. "I *swear* everyone overreacts to the lunk-head. He's just Daddy." 

"You only think that because you don't see three hundred pounds of enraged father when you look at him." Dom, purple eyes twinkling, absently tucked a lock of Janna's raven hair behind her ear. Another trait the Summers girls seemed to have inherited from their mother was their hair. Both Maddy and Janna sported nearly blue-black manes. While Dom's was lightly sprinkled with grey, the overall color was still very striking. "All you can remember is him passing back the imaginary teapot during your 'high teas' with the Queen." 

"I guess you're right, Mom. Really though, the most memorable thing about those teas was, afterward, having to explain to Grandma how those 'sweet little chairs' suddenly got bent. I don't think I've ever seen her laugh so hard since," Janna chuckled. Glancing down, she noticed the neglected lily bouquet. "Wow, Josh! You got me flowers?" 

Merriment and relief danced in Joshua's hazel eyes as the girl reached for his slightly bruised bunch of flowers. Dealing with hugely tall men did nothing for a boy's nerves. Teasing someone darn close to a younger sibling seemed a good tension reliever. Smiling evilly, he raised the blooms over his head and waved them down at the diminutive girl. "Nuh-uh, short-stuff. These are for your mom." 

"Awww! Come on! No one ever gets me flowers!" Adopting a bright pout, Janna danced around Joshua, occasionally poking a finger into his side. Three minutes later, the skirmish ended with a wildly giggling Dom cradling the, by then, broken flower stems. Dom was also staring down at the completely adorable puppy-pile consisting of Janna and Joshua. Both kids were laughing nearly as hard as the adult so neither noticed the svelte figure gracefully descending the stairs until she was nearly on top of them. 

"This is certainly an... interesting tableaux." 

From his position, under the business end of Janna's knee, all Joshua could make out of the speaker was an impression of green. Lots and lots of fuzzy green. 

"Hello. I'm guessing you're Joshua." The immediate sarcastic quirk to her lips marked her as a foe. While, even from his somewhat disadvantageous position on the floor, he could see she wasn't in the same scary-league as Mr. Summers, it was still unnerving. 

"Um. Yes." At his hesitant grunt, Janna removed her knee from his throat and helped the teen to his feet. Standing on more equal footing with the woman, Joshua was able to upgrade the 'lots of fuzzy green' to a more accurate description. 

While, from the floor, she had appeared somewhat intimidating, standing face to face, Joshua found he had several inches on her. That wasn't to say she was *short*, exactly. The woman -no, *girl*- appeared about chin height, and younger than he'd originally guessed. From this vantage point, she looked about fifteen. If the girl hadn't been so tall, Joshua would have sworn she was an elf. Burning red hair framed a sharp, delicate face that stared out at the world from two emerald eyes. The angora sweater and fleecy leggings adorning her athletic frame were a slightly lighter shade of green, but served well to heighten the effect of being stared at by a set of jewels. Recognizably high, strong cheekbones tapered downwards and ended in a pert, slightly upturned nose. The soft bow of her mouth was a pale, natural peach. 

A graceful hand presented itself to his chest, interrupting his assessment. 

"My name is Rachael. I'm Maddy and Janna's aunt from New York." A slight snicker could be heard from the latter's direction. Ignoring it politely, Rachael continued. "Maddy's told me quite a bit about you. It was really a very lucky thing for me to be in town for this. Conveniently, my dance troupe was in the area this week." 

"Very. Convenient, that is." The weak reply tumbled past dry lips as Joshua belatedly gripped her small palm. It was warm, smooth, and soft; everything a young girl's palm should be. And yet... There was something... different about Rachael. Yeah, there'd been a *lot* different about the entire family, but this... it was disturbing. 

Joshua couldn't put his finger on it, but Rachael was too young a girl to possess such cool grace and demeanor. Being a dancer could explain some of it, but there was just something... else. "Is that how you avoided the fog bank?" 

"Mmmm. The fog bank." Mirth flashed in the girl's fairy eyes, quickly to be replaced by cat-like interest. The girl was really creeping him out. "Yes. If it hadn't floated in at that exact right moment," there was another snort from Janna. "A few other cousins would be right here with me." She shot an arch look at Janna. "So, I do believe, would The Uncles..." 

The tone of Rachael's statement told Joshua everything he needed to know about Rachael Summers. Sarcastic and smug all at once, it oozed fake charm and real pleasure at his awkward situation. He didn't like it all that much. She was the type of girl who pushed people to their breaking point just to see how far they'd go. Well, Joshua Cain Baker was smack in the middle of an endurance test and there were some hurdles he just didn't need to deal with. Straightening his spine, Joshua wiped the slightly dazed look off his face and put on a painfully polite smile. 'Time to get some dignity back...' 

"That is a shame, Rachael." The earlier horror had still not been flushed from his system. This turned into a good thing as he utilized that raw emotion to coat and mask. His tone was cool and formal. "I would have liked to meet the men in Madeline's life. Maddy is a special girl." 

Rachael seemed to get the message as she backed immediately off. That strange composure melted under the heat of a million-watt smile. Instantly, that pixie face was transformed. "That, she is Joshua." She tilted her head slightly and considered him and for a moment, the cat returned. "You'd do well to remember that..." 

Joshua got the distinct impression something... else was going on. Those huge eyes were dilated; the pupils narrowed to the size of a pinprick and seemed to bore straight through the back of his head and out the other side. Unsettling was the understatement of the century. 

Just as soon as it started, the feeling was gone. Rachael was again smiling brightly at him and looking, all the world, like she wanted him as her new best friend. Joshua wasn't sure how, but that unsettled him even more. 

"That's enough, Rachael." Somehow, during his and Rachael's conversation, Dom had retrieved the camera from Janna. When he looked over at the older woman, it was dangling from her wrist, swaying slightly. While her face was neutral, her tone was chilly. The 'back off now' message was clear even to Joshua. "I asked Josh to the study so I could get a few pictures and give him the requisite speech." 

Rachael and Janna got the hint. Their suddenly sober faces clued him in that Mr. Summers probably wasn't the only scary parent in the house. The arm Dom wrapped around his shoulder to steer him towards one of the doors in the far wall of the room did very little to settle his twanging nerves. 

The study was actually very nice. He wasn't surprised, considering what he had seen of the rest of the house. Hell, the neighborhood itself was a pretty good indication Maddy's parents weren't in any danger of walking the welfare line. But the study... 

The room was decorated in an interesting combination of dark wood and mauve. It was strange, but not unpleasant. There was a set of thick wooden doors on the left; they were closed, so Joshua had no idea where they lead. The walls were lined with books and knick-knack shelves, all of which were completely crammed. The far wall also had a door. It was slightly open and Joshua could see the kitchen beyond. 

A quiet click indicated the door behind him had been firmly shut. About midway across the room, Dom released his shoulders and pointed towards one of the massive wingbacks in the far-left corner. Obediently, he trotted to the shorter of the two. Before moving to sit in the other chair, Dom strode over to the door leading to the kitchen and clicked that shut too. 

Joshua's felt his tie tighten. 

Still smiling reassuringly, Dom moved to the other chair and sat. The movement exuded a sort of possessed grace Joshua found very familiar. Maddy was, by far, the most graceful girl he'd ever known, but he knew she worked at it; she was, after all, barely 18. This was completely different. The woman across from him seemed almost unconscious of the way she moved. It was just something she did. Any mental speculation on his date's subconscious effort to be more like her parents was quickly put to rest, however, when he looked back into Dom's face. 

It wasn't as if she'd moved. Well she *had*, but it was more of a slumping than a tensing. Fact was, Dom looked *more* relaxed. Somehow, this had his still-fluttery survival instincts jumping like beans on a hot tin roof. Mixed metaphor or not, the woman was suddenly *scary* in a way that... wasn't. The night was turning out to be a proving ground for the existence of the oxymoron. And he hadn't even overpaid for dinner yet. 

"As you know, Madeline is our oldest daughter. As a result, the men of the family tend to be a bit... protective towards her. While this is a natural response from the pack of alpha males I call extended family, I thought I would take a moment to calmly, clearly explain the situation and ground rules." A crooked, vaguely smug smile crossed the woman's lips. She crossed her arms and leaned further back into the plush wing chair. 

"First of all, Maddy will be through your friend Ananda Bartlett's door by exactly one a.m. This gives you time for a post-dance make out session of less than thirty minutes." The smile deepened at the spectacular crimson of his face. "Do not try and fudge the time. Ananda's mother will be watching for you two, and if Maddy is not present by one o'clock, I'm letting Nate out. Clear?" 

Joshua was fairly sure he nodded. Dom seemed to sense that he was in agreement because she smiled and moved on. Whether or not it was through any physical indication on his part, he was unsure. Communication between his nervous system and conscious mind seemed to have shut down again. 

Thankfully, he was saved from making, or being subjected to any further conversation. Several flashes, followed by clicks and whirrs interrupted the moment. Janna dropped the camera from her eye and stuck a tongue out at her mother's disapproving look. Her next sentence all but pulled Joshua out of his chair. 

"Dad says Maddy's on her way down and that the 'situation is handled'. Whatever that means." Blowing raven bangs from her forehead, Janna skipped over and dropped onto the wing of Joshua's chair. She put an arm around his shoulder, and smiled down at him. "Mom's not too far into the speech yet, eh? I mean, you're still kind of smiling." 

Joshua ran his tongue over suddenly dry lips. 

"Yes, Janna, I am." Dom raised an eyebrow indicating that the conversation, such as it was, had not quite concluded. Janna was clearly not impressed. 

"Oh, whatever. You were just trying to make sure you put the fear of God into him so Daddy wouldn't have to. I swear! You two have enough adrenaline pumping through your systems as it is!" 

Whatever this argument was about, Joshua was quick enough to figure it had very little to do with him, no matter its content. Sensing it wasn't the best time to call attention to himself, the young man slunk lower into his wingback and watched the Discussion. It wasn't really a *fight*, per se, but the slowly elevating volume was enough to enforce the capital letter. 

Happily, he was saved from any physical action. In the middle of a close shriek from Janna on how her parents were 'completely old- fashioned' and how she could 'take care of herself, thank you very much', a large clatter from out in the hall sounded. Both participants stopped and turned towards the sound. Not three seconds later, the fuzzy green apparition that was Rachael dashed into the room, stocking- clad feet causing her to skid slightly. 

Before Dom or Janna could open their mouths, Rachael's face broke into a brilliant, sunny grin. For the first time, Rachael's voice made Joshua smile. In fact, it warmed him to the very tips of his toes. "She's ready." 

How he actually made it back into the foyer and to the bottom of the stairs was something of a blur. All he knew was that one moment he was resting in the giant brown wingback, watching mother and daughter bicker, the next he was staring at the most amazing thing he'd ever seen. 

At the top of the stairs was his date. His Madeline. 

She was beautiful. Black hair, piled high, set off her clear, creamy skin. Joshua had never seen fresh milk. He was a city boy born and raised, but he got the distinct feeling fresh milk had nothing on Maddy's skin. Eyes glowing a deep, sapphire blue were heightened perfectly by the flowing silver dress. To Joshua's shell-shocked brain, Maddy looked like a princess. A beautiful, amazing, perfect princess. 

His face must have read like an open book because Maddy broke into a huge grin. It was a special smile. One of the ones she saved for when he said something unexpectedly sweet. Or when he tried to protect her against the strange looks she weathered, kissing him in public. His heart stopped when she smiled like that. 

"You are so beautiful, Madeline." The whisper was out of his mouth before he could stop it. Not that he wanted to take it back, of course. He just wished it hadn't been so involuntary. 

"And you are the most handsome man in the world, Joshua Baker." Suddenly, the distance between himself and Maddy was absent. Standing not six inches away, brilliant eyes slightly misty, Madeline Kathleen Summers reached out a hand to brush his cheek. "Never doubt that." 

"Nothing could ever hold a candle to you, Maddy." 

He really didn't want to cry. There were some things a man didn't do in mixed company and crying was one of them. Even if it was at the sight of a beautiful woman. At least that's what his rational mind was saying; what was left of it anyway. If his tear ducts were paying any attention to the demands of his manly pride, they didn't give any sign. If something didn't give in the next few seconds, the light mist coating his corneas was going to group and fall, embarrassing him immeasurably. 

Thankfully, or not so --depending on your position-- the hulking figure of Mr. Summers re-asserted itself by way of a slight growl. The ever- ready terror-induced sweat decided, rather enthusiastically, that it was a good time to make a reappearance. 

"Joshua." The man had to chew gravel for breakfast to get that tone. He really did. "Maddy and I have... talked." How Mr. Summers went from icy glare to slightly fuzzy smile was yet another mystery to add to Joshua's growing list of Summers family mysteries. It was that slightly unfocused grin that made Joshua realize just how much Mr. Summers loved his daughter. Not that threatening him with death didn't leave an impression, but actually seeing this... joy... It was different. It made Joshua feel slightly better to know that he wasn't the only one who stopped breathing when Maddy smiled at him. 

Of course, Mr. Summers didn't feel that way about *him*. The glower he shot Joshua could have weathered paint. "We have talked and I have been persuaded that you are an honorable young man. DO NOT let me down." 

Joshua nodded convulsively. The next part though... That one just about knocked him on his ass. 

"You take care of my little girl." 

Joshua nearly swallowed his teeth. Mr. Summers, the man who probably wanted him dead for coming within forty feet of his daughter, wanted him to TAKE CARE OF HER. Not that she needed it, of course, but this... This was the Holy Grail of all Father-Daughter's Date moments. This meant... 'Ye ghads!' This meant TRUST. All thoughts of condoms, groping, and physical contact died a quick, painful death. 

The poignant male bonding moment was completely shattered by four female hands, simultaneously, making contact with Mr. Summers' body. All four women wore matching expressions of devout annoyance and righteous indignation. The co-ordination involved in their swarm-and- swat was astonishing. He hadn't even seen them move. 

Mr. Summers fear-inspiring persona cracked, slightly, as he shot an aggrieved glance at Dom. While Joshua was still in too much shock and mortal fear of the man to laugh *out loud*, he was male and that outweighed the fear. Leaving a fellow guy to face four displeased women was just... wrong. No matter *what* the situation. So, gathering the flagging tatters of decimated nerves, Joshua drew the attention back to himself. 

"I'll certainly try my best to take care of her, sir." 

Later, after several years of therapy, Joshua would wonder just *why* he'd done such a bloody stupid thing. While facing Mr. Summers on the stairs had been the most harrowing experience of his young life, it paled to the point of transparency at being the focus of four pairs of icily questioning female eyes. The only physical explanation for Joshua *not* ruining the rental tux in a very damp way was that he was just too scared. 

Behind those scary, scary eyes there was something frightening. It was a power. Pure, primal, *FEMALE* power. 

Joshua could handle Mr. Summers. Maybe not without a lot of pain, but that would be all it was. Pain. Nice, simple pain. Male pain. The world revolved around it. Hell, the Midvale football team had used him as their testing area for the last four years. Pain was easy. 

What he saw before him was... Well, it was just as complicated as a Celtic knot tied by a drunk on speed. 

"Oh?" Joshua had no idea how they'd sync'd their response. 

Back-pedalling seemed the only option. 

"Er... well- What I mean- Um-" It was then Joshua's speech center finally gave up the ghost. His vision started to get fuzzy, and a dull roar filled his ears. As he darted nervous glances between Rachael, Dom, Janna, and Maddy, large colorful spots appeared and started to dance and flit through the air. It made him seasick. 

Anger, fear, and nerves fought a loosing battle for the control of his quickly vanishing mental faculties. There were some things that tested a man's mettle and there were some things that just drove him insane. As his body tried, once more, to nullify any and all deodorant, Joshua decided he'd faced most of the things on that list. In the last twenty minutes. Life just wasn't fair. 

A bright flash interrupted his train of thought. 

Carefully, Joshua blinked, trying to dislodge the new, brilliant, blue spot now battling the other spots for dominance. When his vision cleared, somewhat, he found all four women smiling at him. Janna was holding her camera at chest level, finger poised to take another. 

"We know what you mean, Josh." Maddy took his hand and gazed up at him happily. 

Joshua had no idea what was going on, but considering the consequences, it was probably best just to play along. The image of Maddy, Rachael, Janna, and Dom glaring at him was still burned brightly into his conscious mind. Even if it was foolhardy to let your guard down in this type of situation, there was very little else he could do. He had no guard left. 

"Oh. Okay." Eyes dazed and voice skating the edge of hysteria, he offered his arm to Maddy. "I think your sister and mother want some pictures?" 

The next ten minutes passed in something of a fuzzy daze. In fact, they turned out to be almost pleasant. He lost count of the number of camera clicks by the time the third roll was shot. Mr. Summers stayed quietly in the background, looking contemplative. That was the main reason the time seemed pleasant. Oddly enough, Mr. Summers seemed, of his own volition, to want to stay out of the way. Rachael lost interest after a few minutes, and wandered out towards the kitchen; Dom took a few pictures with her camera, then crossed her arms and let Janna go to town. 

Being the budding professional she was, Janna begged, pushed, and bullied them into countless positions all over the main foyer. An entire role was spent with he and Maddy in various poses on the stairs. A second role was shot on the devon near the entrance to the den, and the very last roll was taken by the bay window down the dining room corridor. Through the entirety of the session, Joshua became more and more suspicious of what Maddy had told him about her parent's jobs. The house was just too damn big to be within the budget of two janitors. 

Maddy had told him, not too long after they'd met, that her parents ran a 'cleaning service'. Joshua's mind had processed that and come up with 'relatively successful janitorial service owners.' He'd never heard of Summers Clean, Summers Cleaning, or any cute variation on that theme. But then, he wasn't the San Francisco Cleaning Services director. Now... Now, he was pretty sure there was Family Money involved too. All of the furnishings and the house itself reeked of money, and everything looked brand new. 

Of course, they could just have someone from their company come over and do up the boss' house as an example to new clients. Owners entertained at their house, right? 

While having his hand placed 'just so' by Janna, Joshua eyed a glossy picture frame. Their help was pretty darn good to get that kind of dust-free cleanliness. 

Well, it wasn't really important, he decided. 'I *am* dating Maddy, not her family.' Joshua shot a concerned glance in Mr. Summers' direction and amended his thought. He was hoping to *continue* to date Maddy. Either way, she was still Maddy. 

The impromptu photo session ended when Janna set her camera on the nearest table, propped a hand on a hip, and grinned. That also ended Joshua's idle speculations on the Summers family finances. There were more important things to do. 

"Well, I'd say that that just about does it. I can't think of anywhere else to pose you two. Besides, the window there gives off the best light. Josh, you can haggle with me next week over copies." Janna threw him a saucy wink before he could protest. "Hey, I'm a professional, I don't come cheap!" 

"Yes you do." Maddy curled a hand protectively around his waist and stuck her tongue out at her sister. Joshua caught Mr. Summers' impassive eye and squirmed. 

"Oh, as if you're one to talk, little Ms. "Hi, Uncle WARREN. How are YOU?" " 

"JANNA!" 

"Cut it out. Maddy, isn't it about time for you and Josh to head out?" Quiet as a whisper, Dom placed herself between her arguing children and gave Joshua a pointed look. 

Nervously he glanced at his watch and thanked every deity listening that it was time to go. He didn't relish the thought of spending any more time here than necessary, and the way Maddy's face had clouded over, he knew she was looking for a nice, long fight. He'd seen that face enough times to know when something bad was gonna go down. Apparently, Dom had too. Besides, he had reservations in half an hour, and if they left now, they'd make it in time for a decent table. Besides, one did *not* let reservations at Chez Joel go if one wanted to ever get a reservation there again. And there *was* still freshman year homecoming to look forward to, right? 

"Yes! Yes, we do have to- Mr. Summers, Mrs. Su-I mean Dom, Janna, we kind of have to go..." 

"...if you want to make your reservations. Don't worry, we understand." Dom smiled brightly at him and shot Janna a withering glare. Janna promptly stuck her tongue out at her mother, but turned to offer a goodbye just the same. 

"Bye, Josh. Have fun, Maddy!" With that, Janna turned and flounced off towards the kitchen. Joshua waved his own goodbye at her retreating back as Dom motioned he and Maddy towards the door. 

The short walk towards the wide front door seemed endless. He could sense Dom and Mr. Summers moving behind him and it was *not* the most reassuring feeling. Joshua wasn't sure, but he had the sinking suspicion his young friend was taking great amusement in the whole situation. 

"Now remember kids. You have fun." Just before his fingers latched onto the large, brass knob, an iron strong, if feminine, hand caught his shoulder. A daze of movement and he was suddenly facing both Dom and Mr. Summers again, back resting none-to-comfortably against the door frame. Dom was still smiling, but her husband's- partner's? lover's? boyfriend's? - face hadn't changed an iota. Although... Joshua knew it was probably the stress of the evening doing another fallout dance in his mind, but he could have sworn that the man's eye glowed. Again. Was that even physically possible? 

At that point, Joshua would have happily signed up for the nearest long term care center if that meant getting him and Maddy out the door any faster. 

"And, if you need any help, don't hesitate to give us a call." For some reason, that statement had been directed specifically at his date. In return, Maddy rolled her eyes and hugged her mother. 

"We *WILL*, Mom." Smiling brightly, she pulled away from the embrace and moved over to her father. It was really quite amazing how tall the man was. No fading violet was Maddy, but even she only reached to his shoulder. With grace and speed speaking of long practice, she bounced up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. 

"Bye, Daddy! I love you!" 

Flashing both parents a huge grin, Maddy turned, threw open the door, grabbed his hand, and pulled him onto the stoop. With one final wave over her shoulder, she hauled him out towards the sidewalk and car beyond. He never did find out how she could move so fast in heels. 

As Maddy led him down the cemented path, Joshua experienced the most intense feeling of freedom in his young life. His old tan Saturn had NEVER looked so good. It was going to be okay. There had been a few rough spots, but overall it had gone... horridly. But it was over. He was outside. He could LEAVE! 

Smiling slightly to himself, Joshua opened the door for his date and helped her inside. The smile gracing her lips was enough, he realized. It was worth the fires of Hell. Most of which he'd just gone through. Moving around the car, he took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. 'It's over.' 

It was only as he ducked his oversized frame into the car that he realized that he would probably have to come back. It was all he could do not to cry. 

_Last modified 1/6/01 _


	5. That Which Is

Things That Are 

**That Which Is**  
(A Joshua Epilogue)  
by A.j.

* * *

In the end, he'd really overreacted. Not that he'd ever admit it. Well, yes he would. To some people. These days. 

There were times when it was hard to believe just how much time he'd spent alive. As the years went by, those times hit harder and faster. Time was a merciless bitch and infallibly chose your weakest moment to broadcast a reminder. 

Maddy had looked beautiful. There was no doubt about that. When she'd opened the door in that silver gown... For the slightest moment, he had seen his partner where their daughter stood. Thirty years younger and twice as reckless, he'd seen her. Dark hair, fair skin, and eyes that could touch a man's soul. 'Thank the Bright Lady they did.' 

The anomaly hadn't lasted long. A blink and the eyes he was staring down into were no longer a violent purple. Instead, they were his own stormy blue. They'd been that way from the day of Maddy's birth. At the beginning he'd hoped they'd change to match her mother's. It had only been around Maddy's fifth birthday that he'd let that particular wish go. 

The girl had been something of a surprise her entire life. He should have realized that her completely unexpected birth only heralded the *beginning* of a completely fascinating, always moving, NEVER boring life. Dom, and he, had been floored to find out she was carrying. Nate was fairly sure the deed had been done during a particularly pleasant truck ride from some point in the middle of Whothefuckcares to an outerlying point in the same region. 

They had been on some unimportant, if bloody, mission to retrieve a certain 'package' for a certain 'person' in the middle of nowhere. The ride had been long and the truck's suspension had been shot since 1970. Cold, tired, and extremely bored, Dom had him under a tarp and had her wicked way with him. Not that it had mattered who'd initiated the tryst three months later. 

Nate had the scars to prove it. 

He still didn't know what had brought Domino back into his life after such a long absence. They'd had a few close encounters in the years between her original break with X-Force and their ultimate reunion, but nothing *too* close. 

He'd been trying to find her for months when, out of nowhere, she'd waltzed into his safe house, shut his dropped jaw with her index finger, and started an argument with Blaquesmith. The situation had been too surreal to do anything but accept and try and catch the furniture as it flew by. 

Looking back now, he knew she'd done exactly what needed doing. In the course of their relationship, tangled as it was, that had pretty much always been the way. Dom had always been the one who glowered, kicked him in the teeth, and finished the loose ends. He hadn't realized how much he'd relied on her until she'd left. And then... well, then all hell had broken loose. 

It still hurt to think about his father. Not many people could say they killed their parent. And of that group, even fewer could boast they'd done it twice. True, the first time he hadn't killed Scott's body... just his soul. The second time... Some would argue that a body without a soul isn't really alive. That made no difference to Nathan. 

He hadn't been well when she'd come back. Everyone had seen it. Even Wolverine had tried to be comforting. That had been an interesting evening, even if it WAS pretty blurry. But when she came back... Something inside him shifted. Settled. 

It had probably been after she'd beaten his ass into the floor. Prior to that, he'd been sulking and she'd been shouting about how stupid it was to wallow when he had a hell of a lot of living to do. The first punch had come as something of a shock. Her punches usually were. But, somewhere between one of the many roundhouse kicks Dom's mantra of 'Your father would be backing me up now for all this shit' had sunk in. He'd been wallowing and his father would have called him on it months before. The others had probably been trying but none had quite the same brand of argument Dom had. 

Of course it hadn't hurt that after the last punch she'd sat on his lap and held him while he cried. 

Nate had needed something to live for. His world had, yet again, been smashed into little pieces by the whims of fate. That time though, he guessed they'd decided a little too much had been taken. In return for his father's life, he'd been given three blessings. The renewal of a love he'd thought lost and two amazing children. More than he'd hoped for a price he still wasn't sure he could bear. 

But things had turned out... okay. After eighteen years, he could say that. 

Domino's pregnancy with Maddy... Oh, had that been a trip. He described it, usually when she was in another country, as eight months of unadulterated "YOUGOTMETHISWAYIWILLMAKEYOURLIFEHELL." 

She hadn't succeeded. Oh, she'd tried. She'd done everything in her power to make him pay for putting her into a position of responsibility. None of it had mattered though. He'd known that she didn't really mean most of it. Yeah, she was scared, but what future parent wasn't? Especially future parents with the last name 'Summers'. He'd known though. Known that she wanted the baby. That desire had been plainly illustrated during her first sonogram. 

Sitting there, flat belly covered in cold goo, listening to the steady whir-whir of their child's heartbeat, Dom had cried. Well, as close to crying as she'd allow herself to get. He'd seen a few tears so it counted. He'd realized then a new chapter in their lives had started. 

Six months, and a considerable amount of cursing, later he'd been a parent again. The labor hadn't been too hard on Dom. She'd cornered Hank, somewhere around month five, and sworn him, on penalty of Danger Room time, to find her the best anesthesiologist in the world. Taking a bullet was one thing, but pushing a watermelon out a keyhole? That was just insane. 

Hank had been good on his word and Dr. Agnathea Ingram had been comfortably settled into her rooms for seven hours before Domino's first labor pains had struck. Domino swore the worst she'd felt during the whole ordeal was the initial needle prick. 

She *had* been pretty loopy. He'd almost been tempted to let Drake keep the blackmail tape. Almost. Then again, it wasn't just a Dom-centric blackmail tape. There'd been some pretty incriminating Nate stuff on there too. He'd fried the entire camera, just to be sure. 

That night, right there in front of God, the X-Men, and everyone, Nathan had stared into his baby's big, trusting, blue eyes and sworn on everything holy, he would do right by his daughter. Then he'd gone and done the unthinkable. He'd cried. In front of his mother, no less. Strangely, holding his little Madeline, it hadn't mattered. 

Neither he or Dom had planned on Maddy. Hell, considering his health problems, her health problems and age, plus about a billion other reasons ranging from their jobs to the environment, they'd both assumed safety from that little issue. But when it had happened... They both just knew it was just another bump in the interesting road labeled 'LIFE'. 

Said interesting little bump had quickly been followed by another, larger bump. Not more than two years after Maddy's birth, an X-Men raid on one of Sinister's new playrooms had turned up something amazing. 

An hour after the tired Xcrew and filed in the hanger doors, Cecila Reyes had handed him his third child, Janna. She had been the only thing alive when the X-Men had finally busted through the titanium lab doors. Drake had told him later that when they'd burst in powers blazing, Janna had blinked, sneezed and giggled. 

Of course he'd been unsure, at first, about raising a genetic recombinant child. Sinister was as predictable weather. Plus, add to that, the baby had been alive, alone, and nearly gift-wrapped for the X-Men to find. But, being the soft-hearted group they were, they'd packed the kid up and hurried her off to the closest geneticist. 

How shocked Hank had been when the test had come up with both Dom's and his gene signatures. 

How shocked HE'D been when Dom and picked the tyke up and popped a bottle in her mouth... Well, he *was* the first to admit that his partner could still surprise the hell out of him, even after thirty eight years. 

But, well... Janna was another story. This was Maddy's night, no matter how much he disliked her date. Before him, a vision in silk and beading, she represented everything he had ever hoped for. Everything he'd believed beyond his grasp. 'But Gods, luck, and time have a really weird sense of humor, don't they?' 

"You look beautiful, Maddy," he'd said. He'd meant it too. She was. Even if she'd dressed up for the nerd downstairs. 

The annoyed glower she shot him confirmed the suspicion that she'd been 'listening in' while he'd been in the parlor. 

"What?" 

"Dad, that was completely uncalled for." Maddy's glower deepened and a tightly sheilded portion of Nate's mind noted that she really *did* look like her mother when she was annoyed. "Joshua's a wonderful person. You know I wouldn't be dating him if I didn't think so." 

"I know sweetheart. It's just..." 

"What? Just what? You don't trust my judgement?" 

"Maddy, I do trust your judgement. But I'm your father and-" 

Maddy crossed her arms over her chest and pinned him with the ultimate tool in the Summers arsenal. Until he'd had its full effect turned on him, he'd never understood its power. The puppy dog look. It was chilling how strong the thing was. 

"Don't you try that, young lady!" 

Her eyes only got bigger. 

"Madeline!" 

They started to mist up. If there was one thing worse than the puppy-dog look, it was the puppy-dog look with tears. There was only one thing he could do. 

"Fine, Maddy. I'm sorry I scared your date." 

Maddy's eyes instantly cleared up and a bright smile flashed across her face. "Thanks Daddy. I knew you'd see it my way." Impishly, she stood on her tip-toes and kissed him on the cheek. Nate detected the slightest hint of cinnamon as she pulled away. His baby really was beautiful. As she settled on her feet again, she smiled brightly. "Besides. I *can* take care of myself." 

"I know, but I'm your father! It's my *job* to protect you." 

Her foot connected with his shin before what he'd said had a chance to register in his brain. 

In another lightning change of mood, one he SWORE she got from her mother, Maddy snarled out a rejoinder, "DAD! That does it. I have had ENOUGH of this!" Grabbing the small beaded purse resting on the table next to her door, the enraged brunette advanced. "Was it, or was it not YOU and MOM who me off to the wilds of Chile last fall on that stupid mission!?" Her right index finger speared his chest, making sure her points were driven home. "Was it not YOU who 'accidentally' dropped me out of a plane in the middle of Alberta? Did I or did I NOT spend my teen years training with the lot of PSYCHOS we call family!? Dad, we just rebuilt this flonquing house after a 'too enthusiastic' Easter with the extended relatives! I think I can take care of MYSELF at a *dance*! I'm probably safer *there* than I am *here*!" 

His hands raised in a placating gesture, Nate tried to fend his daughter off. "Maddy, I know. It's just, I'm your father and I worry." Deciding turn about was fair play, he turned the puppy-eyes on her. Full force. After all, you really weren't supposed to beat on your decrepit old dad, right? 

Unfortunately for him, the Look didn't work nearly as well on Maddy as it did on Dom. His child put her hands back on her hips and kept glowering. 

"Don't even try it, Dad. I know you worry, but that is *no* excuse for intimidating Joshua. He's a NICE person. If he weren't I wouldn't be dating him, and you know it." 

"I know, I know, Maddy. It's just... couldn't you have found someone less... well... geeky?" 

The flabbergasted look on his daughter's face almost made up for the entire evening. Of course her immediate tumble into hysterical laughter erased any of the effect whatsoever. He'd had to wait nearly a minute for her to catch her breath and stop giggling enough to form a sentence. 

"D-dad, I DON'T believe you-you just SAID that!" 

"Well, it's true! You're a beautiful girl with loads of appeal! Lord knows you look just like your mother..." Although he'd meant it as a backhanded comment that last sentence served to stop the random giggling. Eyes wide, his daughter was staring at him with a mix of appreciation and happiness. It had the effect the Look had been aiming for earlier. Try as he might, he couldn't stop the melting in his chest. 

"Daddy. Thank you. I don't know when you've ever said anything nicer to me." Maddy gave him a watery smile and hugged him tight, reinforcing the warm fuzzy feeling decending over his heart. "And I want you to know that Joshua is a handsome guy. Just not on the outside." 

Nate sighed quietly into his daughter's hair and let go of the situation. 'What is, is and all that.' 

But that had all happened a half hour ago, and a lot had happened since. Now, he was standing on the main stoop of his, newly rebuilt, home watching his oldest daughter duck into a beige Saturn. Next to him, his partner of over thirty five years was waving madly, nearly bouncing on the balls of her feet. While the movement was interestingly distracting, considering the peasant blouse she'd managed to stuff herself in earlier, Nathan found himself unable to turn completely away from Maddy. 

The boy, Joshua, had helped her into the passenger seat and was hastily moving around to the driver's side. Nathan couldn't really blame him. He laid it on a bit thick. Maybe the negative broadcasting he'd subconsciously pushed on the lad had been a bit overboard, but Maddy was his baby. There were few privileges allowed a father and scaring the hell out of her prom date was one of the more enjoyable ones. Joshua's retreat gave him a full view of his daughter's profile. Eyes bright and smile broad, she looked the picture of anticipation and joy. She was happy, and Joshua made her that way. 

It was enough for him. Barely. 

Still, after twenty years of weilding a psimitar, when that door had opend, his palms had been itching like mad for a nice, big pulse rifle. 

Almost not clearing the door, Joshua settled behind the wheel and turned the ignition switch. The engine fired, maybe a bit louder than it should have, and the car was in motion. 

There were times when things changed too quickly for his liking. Not that it really mattered. In the grand scheme of things, that is. 

A gentle poke to the hip indicated his partner's interest in their departing daughter had waned. Using considerable effort, Nathan turned away from the retreating tan Saturn and focused on the lady next to him. Smiling brightly, Domino slowly linked her arm around his waist and gave him a tight squeeze. 'Ironically, it feels good to be here. To be doing this. It feels right.' Nathan shook his head and leaned closer until his lips rested against Domino's ear. 

"Go ahead and do it, Dom. You've been wanting to all night." 

"Have not." 

The psi-bond, glowing a tight deep violet, flared, disguising none of his partner's amusement. The constant repressed chuckle he'd felt building in her all night rippled over the bond and broke free. Strangely enough, instead of grating on his nerves, the sweet chuckle floated across the jagged edges, soothing as the notes disappeared into the late afternoon sky. 

Ever so slowly, a smile grew across the hard planes of his face, leaving a relaxed, self-deprecating expression. Nuzzling her ear, he let out a responding chuckle as she tried to squirm away from him. "Domino, you are such a big liar. You've been trying not to laugh at me all night." 

Giggling, she smacked his nose and stopped trying to move away. "Nate, I try not to laugh at you on a daily basis. What makes today so different?" 

Nate looked back at the street just as Joshua turned onto Magnolia, a move that would take him towards the more expensive Wharf district. At least Maddy was going to get a good meal out of the night. As the last bit of tan fiberglass disappeared from view, the tall man quietly answered Domino's question. 

"Because today I was being a total ass." 

Domino's mouth twitched, as did the link. "Again, this is different from most days how?" 

The solid tap on her black-clad flank produced the expected squeak. Chuckling, he stared down at the woman he'd loved, fought and laughed with for almost forty years. 'Not all of them were good years, but they outweighed the bad.' His lip quirked. 'Mostly.' 

A sharp elbow reacquainted itself with his rib cage. 

"Woman, I swear, that elbow of yours has worn a groove." 

"Serves you right." Domino tenderly plucked a stray lock of hair away from his forehead. The intimacy of the gesture resonated through their link and the light-hearted feeling of the previous minutes slowly dissolved. "You knew she had to grow up sometime, Nate. And I'd say going to the prom with Josh ranks considerably higher than any of the ways we did." 

At his responding grimace, Domino smoothed her hand down the side of his face to cup his chin, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. "You're gonna have to start the letting go process, Nate. She's not gonna be your eight year old moppet with big teeth and pigtails forever. Hell, when I was her age..." Domino's lips twisted. "I believe when I was her age I was seducing a certain MUCH older man by squeezing myself into uniforms tight enough to restrict the circulation of an anorexic." 

"That was what I was worried about." 

"Oh, I think all the pizza the kids stuffed down her and Janna pretty much eradicated that little foible. Besides, she's like your mother. Jean can out eat *you* and model agencies are still beating down her door." 

"Dom, there are times when I could swear you were put on this earth just to confuse the hell out of me." 

Beatific 'Mona Lisa' smile firmly in place, Domino gave her mate another happy pat on the chin. At least he was smiling and, from what she could tell from the link, he wasn't about ready to challenge his baby sister's blossoming telekinetic power in an attempt to drag his little girl back home. 

#I don't really feel like explaining to Jean why I beat up on her baby girl trying to retrieve my own.# Sarcasm and resignation tingled and skipped themselves down the link in a purplish-gold stream. 

_Hasn't stopped you before, moron._

This drew a sad chuckle from the tall man. He knew he was being a bit silly, if that was believable. It wasn't like his daughter was wandering around, lost in the wilderness, with nothing but her wits to keep her alive. No, she was just going to dinner and a school dance with a sweet, if nerdish kid who was completely devoted to her. 

In the end, that had been the main reason he'd relented. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Joshua was a nice kid. That hadn't been the only reason. Maddy *had* grown up. He'd realized it when she opened the door tonight. Somewhere between the nappies, braids and tea parties, Madeline Kathleen Summers had become more than Nathan Summers and Domino's daughter. She'd become something new and amazing and entirely unique: herself. 

A sharp tap upside the head interrupted Nate's quiet contemplation of the universe's psychotic sense of humor. He jerked and, faster than the human eye could see, snapped a hand out and caught the offending limb. Suavely, he redirected its path to intercept his lips. Turning the neatly manicured hand over, he grazed the tiny bit of skin just below the thumb webbing. Just as swiftly, he returned the hand to her side and broke into a broad smile. 

#You're right, Dom. She grew up.# 

_It's about time you figured that out, Nate._ An entirely too smug expression stretched across her already smiling face. _You do realize she's heading off to college soon. We're officially... old..._

A weary but good-natured sigh was his only response. "How did we end up as parents, again?" 

"Nate, if you've forgotten that, you've taken one too many blows to the head. Insert tab A into slot B, wait for the sticky part? Ring any bells?" 

"Oath, woman..." 

Eyes serious, she rubbed his arm lightly. "I know what you meant, Nate." The raven-haired woman turned towards the street, facing in the direction of their child's departure. Those beautiful, violet irises grew distant, reflecting some hidden conflict. "I wonder, nearly every day, how we ended up so damn lucky." 

A soft smile tugged at Nathan's mouth. His life had been a long, strange trip, peppered with more pain and suffering than any person should be forced to bear. But somehow, someway... Life made up for it. The time stream may be a vicious bitch, but every now and then, it sucker-punched you with exactly what you wanted. Even if you didn't know you *did* want it. 

"I think it runs in the family." 

Ever so gently, the man -the tired, broken, undeserving man- pulled his lover into a tight embrace. Emotions too rarely expressed in words surged down the link, marking, branding, and revering. Behind his own eyes, Nathan felt a stinging. He wasn't entirely sure if the sensation was his or his partner's. All truth told, it didn't matter in the least. 

#Love you, Dom.# 

_Love you, Nate._

Slowly, the beautiful woman in his arms pulled away. Violet encountered blue, and the moment passed. Sensing the shift, Domino smiled crookedly and carefully tucked the again errant strand of silver bang back into its rightful place. 

"C'mon." Her voice was reassuring and, in the back -under the light tone- a little sad. "I'll call down to Angie's and get a super vegetarian delight for the girls and a meat lovers for us. THEN you can tell me just what Maddy said that got you out of your bitchy mood." A mischievous smile broke across his mate's face, highlighted by a raised ebony brow. 

"And if you're good, I'll call Storm and tell her to quit it with the 'inconvenient' fog." Slowly, realization dawned, overshadowing his apprehension at relating his and Maddy's conversation, and Nate started to chuckle. Leave it to Dom to work him over, then do exactly what he wanted. Bright Lady how he loved this woman. 

"Oh, TRUST me. I can be *very* good..." 

Wrapping his arm, casually, around her shoulders, he leaned down and brushed a soft kiss over the crown of her skull. Together, they turned and moved back through door as one. The spring sun twinkled happily from its far-away perch as Dom's final statement drifted back over her shoulder and out into the shady street. 

"In that case... It's only six o'clock. The Blackbird can make the trip by one, no problem." 

**Fin**

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Last modified 9/11/00 


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